Personal experience is everything in Zen. No ideas are intelligible to those who have no backing of experience.

The root of happiness is altruism — the wish to be of service to others.

The practice of Zen mind is beginner's mind. In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in the expert's mind there are few.

The snow lion stays in the mountains, and the snow lion's ways are the snow lion's ways.

The cultivation of loving-kindness has the power to transform enmity into amity, hostility into hospitality.

The art of living... is neither careless drifting on the one hand nor fearful clinging to the past on the other. It consists in being sensitive to each moment, in regarding it as utterly new and unique, in having the mind open and wholly receptive.

Short moments, many times. That is the essence of meditation practice.

The deepest happiness comes from having an enduring sense of purpose, one that gives our lives meaning beyond the endless pursuit of pleasure and success.

Suffering comes from our resistance to what is. Peace comes from our acceptance of what is.

The path is not about perfecting ourselves, but about perfecting our love.

Generosity generates its own enthusiasm. We don't have to force ourselves to be generous; we just need to start.

Through our eyes, the universe is perceiving itself. Through our ears, the universe is listening to its harmonies. We are the witnesses through which the universe becomes conscious of its glory, of its magnificence.

The practice of mindfulness is the practice of being alive in the present moment.

The trouble is, you think you have time.

Every being has the potential of becoming a Buddha. Our true nature is Buddha nature.

Metta (loving-kindness) becomes truly effective only when it arises from a peaceful mind, a pure mind, a balanced mind.

When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new.

The three characteristics - impermanence, suffering, and non-self - are not philosophical concepts but aspects of experience to be directly observed.

The nature of mind is clearer than the sky, yet we keep looking elsewhere.

Work diligently. Diligently. Work patiently and persistently. Patiently and persistently. And you're bound to be successful. Bound to be successful.

The true purpose of Zen is to see things as they are, to observe things as they are, and to let everything go as it goes.

The purpose of Buddhist practice is not to become a Buddhist but to awaken to the nature of reality.

Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind.

Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others.

The perfect moment is this one, not the one you're waiting for.

Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.

The only things that are truly mine are my actions and their results.

When things fall apart and we're on the verge of we know not what, the test of each of us is to stay on that brink and not concretize.

The more we understand impermanence, the more we appreciate each moment of our lives.

The essence of bravery is being without self-deception.

To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest.

Every small positive change we make in ourselves repays us in confidence in the future.

Through continuous mindfulness practice, the true nature of physical and mental phenomena becomes clear.